Conveyer for heat-treating furnaces



May 15, 1928.

A. T. KATHNER CONVEYER FOR HEAT TREATING FURNACES Filed Jan. 31, 1927 INVENTOE "I @TTOENE/Y Patented May 15, 1928.

ARTHUR '1. IATHNER, OF HOLLIDAYS COVE, WEST VIRGINIA.

GONVEYER FOR HEAT-TREATING FURNACES.

Application filed January 31, 1927. Serial No. 184,888.

This invention relates broadly to conveyers for heat treating furnaces, annealing furnaces, lehrs, and the like, and more specifically to a shaft for such conveyers.

B. The primary object of the invention is to provide a hollow shaft for conveyers of the so-called disk type employed in furnaces, lehrs and ovens wherein high temperatures are maintained, said shaft preferably being made of an alloy metal which shall be especially resistant to abrasion, corrosion and oxidation.

A further object is to provide a shaft of. the character referred to produced by forg 5 ing, rolling, drawing, or piercing,fas dis' tinguished from the usual mold, castingmethod of making such shafts and which;

therefore, requires little or no machine work" to be performed thereon preparatory to mounting thereon the usual conveyer wheelsor disks, with the end in view to greatly reduce production costs. A still further object is to provide a conveyer shaft which, while of relatively small diameter and light weight, shall possess the requisite strength to withstand the strains imposed thereon.

Another object is to provide a shaft of the character referred to which is adapted to free itself of much of the heat which is communicated thereto, expelling such heat at points wherein it is utilized in heating the furnace walls rather than wasted with the end in view to eliminate the waste of heat from the lower part of the furnace. I

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accom- 0 panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conveyer shaft constructed in accordance with the invention, the same being shown associated with a furnace or oven; l5 and Figure 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designatesa hollow conveyor shaft adapted to be disi0 posed transversely within a furnace, lehr, oven or the like, and to have its opposite ends projected outwardly through the side walls 2 of such furnace and mounted in suitable bearings, as 3. Said shaft is designed to 5 have fixed thereon within the furnace a plurality of disks, as 4, upon which the metal to be treated is transported through the furnace.

Said shaft is made by a forging, rolling, drawing, or piercing method, as distinguished from mold casting, and is of substantially uniform diameter throughout, and, therefore, requires little or no machining to adapt it for the reception of the disks 4, bearings 3, and drive gears 5.

The opposite ends of the shaft have the hollow or bore 6 thereof closed, as by means of plugs 7, for preventing the escape through said ends of heat imparted to the shaft; and those portions of said shaft which enetrate the walls 2 of the furnace are rovided with a plurality of vents 8 adapte to discharge such heat into openings 9 provided in said walls, said openings being of materially greater diameter than the shaft and having the latter projected therethrough, as shown. The outer ends of said openings 9 are closed, as by a shaftembracing collar 10, while the inner ends thereof are in open communication with the interior of the furnace. Thus, heat discharged into the openings 9 through the vents 8 of the shaft and not utilized in heating the furnace walls is permitted to return to the interior of the furnace rather than discharged outside the furnace walls.

While the shaft may be made of steel, it is preferred that an alloy metal, which is particularly resistant to the usual ill effects of heat upon metals, be employed.

What is claimed is 1. In a conveyer for heat-treating furnaces, a tubular shaft of substantially uniform diameter throughout, and means closing the ends of said shaft, said shaft being devoid'of perforationsexcept in the portions of the ends thereof which are received by the furnace .;-walls, the perforations of said end portions constituting vents through which heat is discharged into direct contact with the furnace walls for heating the latter.

2. In a conveyer for heat-treating furnaces, a hollow shaft for carrying conveyer disks, said shaft being of substantially uniform diameter throughout, and means closing the ends of said shaft, said shaft having perforations only in those portions thereof which are located within the furnace walls when the shaft occupies operative position, said perforations constituting vents through whlilch heat is discharged for heating said we s.

.3. The combination with a heat-treating tubular conveyer s aft within said furnace w1 outwardly through said openings, said openiameter materially greater than that of said shaft, means closing the shaft, and means closing the I ings having a ends of said outer ends of said openings, said shaft having therein vents through which heat is discharged from its interior into said openings for heating said walls.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ARTHUR T. KATHNER.

disposed transversely th its ends projecting 

